US and Paraguay sign civil nuclear cooperation agreement

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Paraguayan Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement in Washington on Tuesday.

Ramirez and Rubio signed the "123 Agreement," as such accords are known. The United States has signed them with more than 25 countries since 1954.

Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act, passed in 1954, authorizes the transfer of civilian nuclear technology for energy or scientific purposes in exchange for recipient countries complying with International Atomic Energy Agency standards.

The United States also secures the right to monitor the use of nuclear material to ensure that it cannot be used for military purposes.

Washington has signed such agreements with Argentina, Mexico and Brazil, among other countries.

Rubio described the strengthening of relations between Washington and Asuncion over the past year and a half, since Donald Trump returned to the White House, as "incredible."

"What we are looking for is a relationship that not only continues to grow, but becomes something permanent" and is not subject to changes of government, Rubio said during the signing ceremony at the State Department.

Paraguay's conservative government, in power since 2023, and Trump's Republican administration have increased cooperation at all levels amid a broader rightward shift across Latin America.

"We're looking not only at the level of bilateral cooperation, in security, but we're looking at it also in our region, globally," the Paraguayan foreign minister said.